On 2 May 2025, the African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR, the Court) received a request for an advisory opinion concerning the obligations of states in the context of climate change. This development was anticipated: as early as 2023, there were indications such a request was in preparation (at 54:30) and, that same year, the African Commission issued a Call for Comments to the ‘Study on the Impact of Climate Change on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Africa’. This post examines three key aspects: (1) the contents of the petition, (2) its prospects with respect to jurisdiction and admissibility and (3) the potential contribution of an advisory opinion to the broader climate justice movement.
Opinion
Opinion | Trump forced to bargain with China as US mourns loss of supremacy – Go Health Pro
After intense two-day negotiations with China in Geneva recently, the United States agreed to postpone its “reciprocal tariff” on China for 90 days, with both sides cutting additional tariffs mostly to 10 per cent. In yet another example of US President Donald Trump taking people by surprise, he declared the climbdown a “historic trade win”. … Read more
How Regional Human Rights Courts Could Shape the ICJ’s Climate Opinion – EJIL: Talk! – Go Health Pro
In March 2023, the United Nations General Assembly requested an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on states’ responsibilities under international law to protect the climate system for current and future generations. The Court’s Opinion is expected to clarify the content and scope of human rights obligations and their implications for state … Read more
Opinion | The US and China hold the key to each other’s economic puzzle – Go Health Pro
As an American economics professor in China, I often tell my students that the problems facing the US and Chinese economies are like puzzle pieces, but opposite in shape. The United States has suffered a hollowing out of manufacturing and persistent trade deficits and it is too reliant on consumer spending and imported goods. China, … Read more
Opinion | Malaysian flag gaffes expose how AI can inflame deep social divisions – Go Health Pro
Between US President Donald Trump’s April 2 volley of tariffs and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s three-country stop in Southeast Asia just two weeks later, most of the Asia-Pacific’s attention was captured by the implications of these contrasting developments. But what happens on the ground in smaller countries offers a more interesting composite of local dynamics … Read more